Calculus Basics

Maple does calculus symbolically — differentiation and integration return exact expressions, not numerical approximations.

Differentiation

diff(x^3 + 2*x, x);

Returns 3*x^2 + 2 — the exact derivative, as an expression you can keep working with.

Integration

int(x^2, x);          # indefinite integral
int(x^2, x = 0..3);    # definite integral, evaluated exactly

Why This Matters for Your Exams

A definite integral in Maple comes back as an exact value (a fraction, or involving pi/e when relevant) — not a decimal approximation that's already lost precision before your next step.